Toreros Land 4 Top Basketball Prospects

In what appears to be one of its best recruiting classes, the University of San Diego announced four early signings Tuesday for its men’s basketball team, which will graduate several of its all-time best players after the season.

Signing with the Toreros were forward Sean Flannery and guard Val Hill of Tucson, center Rocco Raffo of Salinas and guard David Fizdale of Los Angeles. USD Coach Hank Egan said a fifth signing is expected.

The signing of Flannery, especially, is considered a coup. The 6-foot-7 four-year starter at Salpointe Catholic High needs 600 points to become the state’s career high school scoring leader and has been an all-city selection the past three years. Last season he averaged 27.6 points and 13 rebounds and led his team to a 23-5 record, earning all-state honors and making several preseason high school All-America listings. Flannery, who has a 3.9 grade-point average, reportedly chose USD over the University of Arizona and was recruited by Notre Dame and USC as well.

“We were in the hunt with some good schools,” Egan said.

Hill is a left-handed 6-4 swing man out of Tucson High characterized by Egan as a good shooter and strong athlete. As a junior he averaged 18.9 points for a 24-4 team and was an all-region selection.

Hill, who reportedly looked at UCLA and Cornell as well, is an A student interested in a medical career. He and Flannery played on the same junior high team.

At 6-9, Raffo will give the Toreros some of the height they lack in the post. As a junior at Salinas High, Raffo was Monterey Bay League’s most valuable player, averaging 15.2 points and 12.6 rebounds for a 24-3 team.

Fizdale, a 6-2 guard at L.A.’s Fremont High, will be a starter for the first time this season but, Egan said, is the rare high school player with a point guard mentality. Off the bench he averaged 8.4 points and 6.5 assists for the 34-2 team that advanced to the state championship game.

“He’s a true point--he sees the floor and he thinks of the other players first,” Egan said.